As professional athletes continue to protest racial injustice after the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the NHL has granted the players' request to postpone four playoff games on Thursday and Friday, the league and NHL Players' Association said in a statement Thursday.
"After much discussion, NHL players believe that the best course of action would be to take a step back and not play tonight's and tomorrow's games as scheduled," the statement reads. "The NHL supports the players' decision and will reschedule those four games beginning Saturday and adjust the remainder of the Second Round schedule accordingly.
"Black and Brown communities continue to face real, painful experiences. The NHL and NHLPA recognize that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centered on diversity, inclusion and social justice."
The move came after several players made public calls for the league to suspend play.
Thursday's postponed games were between the Philadelphia Flyers at the New York Islanders in Toronto and the Las Vegas Knights at the Vancouver Canucks in Edmonton, Alberta. Both series are tied 1-1.
Friday's games were between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins and the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. Those series are both at 2-1, with Tampa Bay and Dallas holding leads.
The NHL and players association also said in the statement that they "pledge to work to use our sport to influence positive change in society" and that both groups are "committed to working to foster more inclusive and welcoming environments" within the league.
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The decision to postpone comes after public calls from the Hockey Diversity Alliance to suspend play. San Jose Sharks left winger Evander Kane, representing the player-formed group, tweeted a statement Thursday afternoon.
"We the @TheOfficialHDA have formally requested the @NHL to suspend all playoff games today," Kane wrote on his verified Twitter account. "We strongly feel this sends a clear message that human rights take priority over sports."
A longer statement released Thursday afternoon by Kane said, in part, that the Blake shooting was “yet another example of police brutality against Black Americans that continues to go unabated and unaddressed in the communities where NHL teams play.”
On Wednesday, several teams across the NBA, MLB, WNBA and MLS opted not to play their scheduled games. The NHL, however, played all three of its scheduled playoff games Wednesday night and has faced criticism for that decision.
Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot seven times by police August 23 as he was walking around a car. Bystander video was shared on social media and has led to outrage and protests throughout the country.
Several professional athletes are using their platform to bring awareness to systemic racism and are protesting inequities in policing by choosing not to play their scheduled games.
Prior to Wednesday night's game between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, the NHL displayed the words "End Racism" on video boards and held a "moment of reflection" for Blake, who is paralyzed from the waist down and may never walk again, family and lawyers said.
"You can throw blanket statements out there and it's not going to create much change," Matt Dumba, a member of the Minnesota Wild and the Hockey Diversity Alliance, told Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver.
Kane, responding to the NHL's actions on Wednesday night, posted a message to his Twitter page to express his displeasure.
"Actually it’s incredibly insulting as a black man in hockey the lack of action and acknowledgement from the @NHL, just straight up insulting," he wrote.
The Milwaukee Bucks chose not to show up to the court for their first-round playoff game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday afternoon. That game was then postponed, and sparked ongoing conversations among NBA players about how to handle the rest of their season. The MLB's Brewers joined their counterparts in Milwaukee and also chose not to play, leading to one of three postponements in baseball.
The MLS postponed all but one of its six games Wednesday and the WNBA postponed all of its three scheduled games.
"It's kind of sad and disheartening for me and for members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, and I'm sure for other guys across the league," Dumba told Sportsnet 650 Wednesday night. "But if no one stands up and does anything, then it's the same thing, that silence. You're just outside, looking in on actually being leaders and evoking real change when you have such an opportunity to do so."
Contributing: Chris Bumbaca
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